Alisande... I can only guess...but those pellet like "things" may be engorged ticks. When I zoomed in on your original postings...I saw them then. They seem to be aligned alone her back spinal area. She's been through the wringer for one reason or another and her immunity defenses may not be what they should be. Being weak, she'll become an easy host for almost anything. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be so visible [in your yard] on such a continual basis...and if those are ticks...she would have rubbed them off long before they reached that size. She's there because neither you nor your pets have threatened her and she needs a safe haven for her twins. She's probably bedding down with them in your tall grass areas and provided she has a water source nearby...she'll stay there until her twins are strong enough to survive on their own. Those wounds, if we're right, are not that old. If they were, we wouldn't be able to see them so easily. I'm glad you brought mama cat in for a while. At least until she's strong enough to run fast and climb. Most cats have enough sense to run from a bear. Dogs want to defend their territory often to their own demise. It must have been a terrible experience for you. I know it would have been for me. If possible...could you post photos/progress reports from time-to-time? It's hard to tell her age from photos but if she's a liability, her own kind will shun her...and I hope she makes it.

But Wanda, where are the birds?? :-) That's okayÂit's a beautiful picture, and I just happen to have a bird to contibute today: the elusive flicker (along with the ubiquitous chickadee). Taken yesterday.

Pretty tree! My mom had two sisters. The middle girl was the woman some of you might remember from the "Laundry Day" photo, and here's the youngest, Charlotte.

My DH was in a group like Peter, Paul and Mary back in the 60s. They were called Me, Him and Her. In September of this year he had a 40 year class reunion and got together with "Her". They put on a mini-concert. Unfortunately "Me" was due to go in for triple bypass the next day and couldn't make it. This is my Him (DH) and Her belting out their version of "Leaving on a Jet Plane". Jodi-